operation DENALI 2009

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The physical struggle to survive and overcome visible combat wounds is obvious to the casual observer, but it is the battle of rediscovery that is the longest, most hard fought struggle a Wounded Warrior must face.

There is an insidious threat, buried in the soul of every warrior who has left a part of himself upon the field of battle.  To fall prey to this threat is to become the greatest casualty …he who forgets himself - what he once was and what he can still be. To be this casualty is to give up the fight, to wallow in your condition with no trace of hope, no recognition of what is still possible.

Operation Denali trains at the AMS Mountaineering School
(video length - 10 min, ensure you allow Active X controls))
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A Musical Tribute to our Wounded and Operation Denali will be held at UAA on 13 Aug at 7 pm,
Check out the flyer!

Our Mission: 

Enable four Warriors wounded in the Global War on Terrorism to overcome devastating combat injuries and successfully summit 20,320 ft Denali, the highest mountain in North America, symbolizing the strength of our Nation and those who defend it.

Objectives:

1.  To raise awareness for the needs of severely injured service men and women

2.  To  work together to overcome our physical limitations and achieve a common goal made to seem insurmountable by the impact of our injuries on our lives

3.  To demonstrate by performance and example that no obstacle is so great that the human spirit cannot overcome it

     "It’s been almost a year now since the IED strike ripped through my body and changed my path so quickly. My body is still intact, sort of.  Not all of my men were so lucky.  But I’m no longer the man I once was.  My left arm is titanium from wrist to elbow and then some.  I lost 50% of the muscle mass in my arm and five inches of my ulnar nerve.  I’ll need more surgery in the future.  I don’t have feeling in my left arm, leg or several fingers and can’t fully control its use.  My brain has become adept at suppressing the pain.  As time crawls by, I struggle to rediscover my own ability.  Slowly, I am gaining strength.
     I won’t be that casualty who forgets who he was or can't see what he can still be.  After months of hospitalization, 8 surgeries, and the constant pain of therapy, I allowed my wounds to convince me that chance was gone, but not anymore.  I will climb this mountain to remember who I am and for the Wounded Warrior’s like me, to shrug off the limits of perception formed within the scars of our wounds.  If my fight to not be 'that guy' can be an inspiration to another Warrior, then I don’t want it to be a secret. And when I summit, I will have likeminded Warriors at my side because I know that I am not alone in this desire."
                 ----- Major Marc  Hoffmeister, Team Leader, Operation Denali 

If you have questions about our mission, contact Major Hoffmeister.

If you want to help the team reach its goal, please donate or sponsor our climb!